Director, Development Athletics

Lindenwood University • St. Charles, IL

20h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Development Athletics secures private philanthropic support by aligning donor interests with athletics institutional priorities. The position identifies, qualifies, cultivates, and solicits donor prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more, with emphasis on donors of $100,000 and above. Constituents include individual donors, alumni, foundations, corporations, fans, and friends of the university. The director helps grow donor pipelines and the university’s philanthropic landscape through strategic work and relationship building.

The director manages a portfolio of major donor prospects, develops strategies to meet annual and campaign fundraising goals, and works in partnership with advancement and athletics leadership. The position supervises the Assistant Development Officer, Athletics, and supports fundraising, engagement, stewardship, and advancement operations. Donor meetings and prospect engagement account for 25–50% of the role and may take place through travel, campus visits, phone, or video conferencing.

The position operates in a flexible work environment with regular in-office and remote workdays as assigned by the supervisor. It includes occasional evening and weekend work and regular travel to an assigned region for donor visits and alumni engagement events. The role also requires computer work for up to eight hours daily, extended periods of sitting and standing, lifting or carrying typical office items, and mobility to attend on- and off-campus events.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least 5 years of experience soliciting major donors and gifts.
• Experience with major gifts of $25,000 and above, or comparable results in a business-to-business or inside sales setting.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures.
• Understanding of fundraising principles, including prospect discovery, donor lifecycle, storytelling, and pipeline segmentation and analysis.
• Experience writing proposals and gift agreements.
• Ability to build relationships and alliances with internal and external audiences.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Knowledge of current concepts, practices, and procedures in the field.
• Knowledge of planned-giving techniques and vehicles.
• Attention to detail and strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to maintain accuracy under time pressure while managing multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Ability to handle confidential information with discretion.
• Ability to work effectively at a computer for up to eight hours daily, sit and stand for extended periods, lift or carry typical office items, and attend events on and off campus.
• Regular attendance.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree.
• Experience soliciting major donors and gifts for an intercollegiate or intramural athletics program.
• Working knowledge of best practices and trends in intercollegiate athletics.
• Experience in higher education, ideally involving a comprehensive campaign, capital campaign, or fundraising for capital projects.
• Experience with Raiser’s Edge.

Responsibilities

• Manage a portfolio of major donor prospects capable of making gifts of $25,000 or more, focusing on qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and gift closure.
• Coordinate with the Assistant Vice President of Development, Vice President for Athletics, development colleagues, and prospect researcher to develop and implement strategies for annual and campaign fundraising goals.
• Meet with donors and prospects through travel, on-campus visits, phone, and video conferencing; these activities account for 25–50% of the role and may include evenings and weekends.
• Prepare donor proposals, reports, draft agreements, and donor communications tailored to donor interests.
• Develop and execute strategies for assigned units to support philanthropic priorities and increase major gift support in partnership with advancement and athletics leadership and colleagues.
• Build and maintain collaborative partnerships with athletics leadership and staff to understand programs and initiatives and identify opportunities for private support.
• Maintain expertise in major-gift practices, philanthropic trends, and giving vehicles, and apply industry insights to prospect engagement and complex gift structuring.
• Collaborate with stewardship and engagement colleagues to develop strategic engagement plans for key alumni and donors.
• Supervise the Assistant Development Officer, Athletics, including work related to donation-based giving societies, alumni groups, donor suites, and fundraising events such as the annual Black and Gold Benefit.
• Use Raiser’s Edge to document activities, interactions, and other relevant data.
• Participate in advancement meetings and events, assisting colleagues and supporting ongoing programs and operations to help meet institutional engagement and fundraising goals.
• Support the university’s mission and Q2 culture of service excellence; model university values and hold others accountable to them.
• Conduct donor acknowledgement and stewardship activities and cultivate relationships with donors, alumni, and friends of the university.
• Advise advancement and athletics leaders on internal and external constituency relations.
• Provide leadership to campus colleagues on current fundraising techniques and mentor advancement team members in industry best practices.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s programs for the employee, spouse, and dependents, and for master’s programs for the employee and spouse.
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs for the employee.
• Comprehensive benefits plan including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
• Paid holidays, including MLK Jr. Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break, and winter break.
• Free Friday lunches for employees at Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba are included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director